Families First Funeral Home & Tribute Centre - Breaking The Law And Endangering Lives For Their Own Benefit

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Families First Funeral Home & Tribute Centre - Breaking The Law And Endangering Lives For Their Own Benefit

Families First thinks they are above the law and can disobey the rules of the road, thereby endangering lives.

What is written below is a must read!

Basic rules for funeral processions.

1) If the lead car (the car at the very beginning of the procession) approaches a red light, that car MUST stop as per rules of the road. This has been confirmed through the traffic department of the Windsor Police Dept. If that car enters the intersection while the oncoming (crossing) traffic light is green, that lead car, hence the funeral home, is in violation of traffic laws. However, if the lead car properly enters the intersection when the light facing that lead car is green, then the entire procession may pass through the intersection no matter how the light changes during its passing.

2) It is a courtesy to not interfere, or break into a funeral procession, this is not a law. It's only out of respect that we must keep a funeral procession in one piece and not get in the middle of it as it is driving to its destination.

3) A funeral car (purple light on top), is NOT an emergency vehicle and does NOT have the rights of an emergency vehicle.

4) If the funeral procession is escorted by a police vehicle, the funeral procession has all the rights of the police vehicle because said police vehicle takes care of stopping traffic safely for the procession to pass any and all major intersections, therefore preventing any accidents from happening.

5) It is a MYTH that funeral processions are not allowed to stop. They're not a train, damnit! The still must obey traffic laws.

Think of a funeral procession as 1 long vehicle, kind of like a very slow moving train. If the front of this long vehicle makes it through on a green light, it can't very well stop in the middle of the intersection. A vehicle must clear the intersection upon entering it no matter what the light has done.

I don't like people who think they are above the law and think that reckless driving is OK because they are leading a funeral. We're told we should have respect for the dead, but that doesn't mean that we should not respect the living in the process.

A procession coming from Families First funeral home broke the law, took part in reckless driving and endangered lives. The funeral director who was driving (a blonde haired woman) and her passenger, approached an intersection while the light facing her was red and did not stop. Instead she slowed down and crept into the intersection while the green arrow was showing for the crossing traffic and cars were making their turns. This was at the corner of Division Rd. (County Rd. 42) and Walker Rd. at 11:30 AM on Friday February 3rd 2012. And so I called the police as soon as I got home, to confirm what they had done was wrong. Sure enough, they were in the wrong. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no problems waiting for a funeral procession to pass; I can understand completely as I have been involved in far too many funerals for a person my age. All cars are to stay together to get to the destination at the same time, and to keep people from getting lost if they don't know where they're going. This procession was NOT led by a police car. I could understand if it was, I mean, the cops are there to make sure the path for travel is safe and no one gets injured along the way. When I called the funeral home to make a complaint, the first thing I was told was "That's something we do all the time, it's OK, people understand". Naturally, this got me angry and I told him what the police officer told me, which is they have to stop if they approach a red and that I talked to the police about it already. The next thing he said was "Have you ever had someone in your family die?". Seriously? Are you kidding me? Oh, this enraged me, obviously the guys not taking anything that was said seriously. I told him that they're not emergency vehicles and don't have the right to run red lights and endanger people's lives and that I've seen accidents happen from exactly that kind of driving; I have and I take safety very seriously. I also told him that if he doesn't take this seriously that I'd be calling the police back and having them send someone out there to talk to them; he told me "go ahead and do that". He was very condescending the whole time I was on the phone and it sounded like he was trying to sell me something. Sorry buddy, I see through those tactics, I was once on that end of the phones and was trained to deal with people myself. I said "Goodbye, and you better be taking this seriously because you're going to get someone killed by driving that way". He started to speak and I was so mad that I just hung up. I called the police back and made it a formal complaint and the police were on their way.

Now, to say that people understand is just ridiculous and down right ignorant. The true meaning of ignorant (not knowing), not the more common (rude) that people think it means. They say people understand because that's how it looks because, naturally, people are going to stop to avoid getting into an accident. We're Canadians, we don't take action on most things like this because no one wants to cause a conflict. We just like to get along and let things go, but we'll go home and bitch and complain to everyone for as long as it takes to get it out of our systems. Well, not this time, I knew the rules, called to confirm the rules, and called to complain (police - funeral home - police), and now I'm letting everyone else know.

Most times, I would let things like this go, but this is endangering lives. I won't call the police on most drivers because it's not worth it if no one's life is at risk. Lots of drivers out there are mostly good drivers but you happen to catch them in that one brain-dead moment where they make a stupid move on the road. But this is a company that should know better. They know the rules and just refuse to follow them, thinking they are above them because "people understand". No, the only people who "understand" are the people who are ignorant of the rules therefore cannot possibly understand. Well, I sit back no more. I am spreading the word and will do what is right no matter the outcome.

What this company did was wrong and needs to change. Really, what's the rush for a funeral? The person is dead; it's not like they're on the way to the hospital to be saved. Dead and embalmed, no rush to be put in the ground. People are already grieving, so if the lead car of a funeral causes an accident because of their reckless driving, don't you think that the people who are already mourning will be even more upset? Just wait the 2 minutes for the light to change to green; it's 2 minutes for crying out loud. It's almost as if they do it to create more business for themselves. That would make them worse than those lawyers who are ambulance chasers. After all, if they create business for themselves by causing deaths, they'll never be out of work, right?

I'm not finished with them. I have yet to send them a lengthy letter detailing what they did, and how it's NOT OK. As it stands, although I kept my cool as far as being tactful on the phone with them, it was a phone call they'll never forget. And once the letter reaches them, it'll be a letter they never forget either. I'm even considering getting a petition together to show them that the people DO NOT understand the reckless driving to get a dead body to it's final destination.

I am here on this earth to help people and do the right thing. I have been trained in my entire existence to do the right thing and have instead sat and just complained about things like everyone else. Well, not anymore. I'm standing up, like we all should. At least when I die, I know that I've done good on this planet. And when I die, you can know that I WON'T be using Families First for my funeral arrangements.

Re: Families First Funeral Home & Tribute Centre - Breaking The Law And Endangering Lives For Their Own Benefit

I should probably mention that this took place in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and that Families First in this area has 3 locations, 2 in Windsor and 1 in LaSalle, and that this procession was most likely coming from the location on Lauzon Parkway. And, there is only 1 phone number for all 3 locations, so I have no idea which location was called, but I can only assume it was the one located on Dougall Ave. because they were the first location established and that's the one that comes up on Canada411.ca, but I have no way of knowing that for sure.